


drifting away (in the rain)

by orphan_account



Category: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger
Genre: Friends to Lovers, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Summaries, M/M, Not Beta Read, angst if you squint, based off of a song on soundcloud, i really tried with this one two yall, i'm also tired so now i'm gonna go to bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:35:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22064134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: 'This time, it didn’t go away in a month. This time, it hasn’t been based on something small; something that couldn’t grow or develop into whatever it developed into now. This time, it was something that, although sweet, became scary. Something that held weight to it. Something that could ruin everything.And of course, it had to be for someone who he saw almost daily; someone who he’d always be around whenever the opportunity presented itself to him. That this someone could ruin the reputation that his father and mother made for him long before he was even in the picture.Keefe would still let this person reck his life, though. Over and over and over again. He’d watch it all come crumbling down around him, and didn’t think he’d care if it guaranteed getting the person he so desperately loved. That’s how far he’d come. That’s how in love he’d been.Of course, this person had to be Dex.'part two of a oneshot i wrote some time ago called 'ready now'! this one is based on this song - https://soundcloud.com/rory-is-gay/drifting-away-by-khai-dreams-but-its-playing-on-a-rainy-day-while-youre-pining
Relationships: Dex Dizznee/Keefe Sencen
Comments: 6
Kudos: 35





	drifting away (in the rain)

**Author's Note:**

> hi! i'm back and i actually finished this instead of procrastinating. shocker.
> 
> anyways i hope you guys enjoy reading this, because i had no clue how to write it for a few days. i like how it turned out, though. who knew rain could be so inspiring lmao.
> 
> i have a tumblr! - https://www.tumblr.com/blog/veetumbles ! check it out please (i need the validation) :)

There was something special about being trapped inside on a rainy day. 

Maybe it was the sound of the rain as it tapped on the windows and hit the earth. It was pretty soothing in its own kind of way. Perhaps it was the way it made everything seem prettier. Sometimes the droplets would fall onto flowers and plants outside and make them seem even specialer. 

Little kids and those who were young at heart loved it especially. After all, the remnants of rain through puddles were a special treat. Even though they’d probably get soaked, some people just love to jump in them.

A certain children’s t.v. show's protagonist would have to agree with ‘muddy puddles’. 

Speaking of t.v. shows, the rain was a great excuse to stay inside and watch t.v. or a movie or two. It was nice being curled up in a blanket, watching a good show, and knowing that the rain has canceled all of the plans that you didn’t want. 

Or maybe it was the way the rain resembled how someone might feel; cloudy and ready to spill out onto the world around them. Sometimes, people think that the rain resembles their tears- that the world was crying with them.

And sometimes, listening to the rain helped people think. The light splatters of small droplets of water onto the earth 

Another way to look at the rain was to remember all the good it did.

It brought relief for plants who needed to be watered. After all, water was a part of the way a plant creates its food. Even small rain-storms did a lot for the plants. And for the rain, the plants were thankful. 

But what about the people who didn’t find joy in the puddles or sights, or didn’t feel represented by the clouds? What about the people who felt indifferent by the rain?

That is where Keefe Sencen lies. 

Keefe had seen everything from his window. He had listened to the somewhat soothing sound of the rain. He’s watched it make everything seem specialer. He’s watched t.v. shows while being curled up in a blanket. He’s even remembered the plants and had felt what the rain represented to him.

But he was still indifferent to it. After all, the only thing the rain had done was left him home with his dad and the daughter of their family friend. 

Originally, Keefe had plans to hang out with everyone in his friend group. They had planned to hang out since the sleepover, and that was a little over two weeks ago. 

The sleepover itself was a mess. A beautiful yet gigantic mess. Especially since he was forced to deal with his feelings at two in the fucking morning. Especially since he had to try and stomach everything that he felt at two in the fucking morning. Especially since he woke up in Dex’s bed and forced his heart to go far, far away- more on that one later- at two in the fucking morning.

However, the group’s plan was to go to the outdoor mall and mess around there. The mall itself had a lot to do. For one, it was outside. It was nice to get fresh air when shopping around. The second thing was that it was nice to not be crammed inside a big building. Sure, malls themselves were big, but they always felt suffocating.

Plus, it was supposed to be a nice day. With good weather and the sun shining without a cloud in the sky, the outing would’ve been nice. 

But then it started to rain. One by one, everyone canceled. No one liked getting soaked while shopping. It wasn’t a very pleasant experience if Keefe was being honest. And he was speaking from past knowledge. Sophie, Biana, and Fitz were, too. 

So now that his plans were canceled, Keefe had nothing to do. Besides sitting inside and spending more time with Ro, of course.

Ro was her own sort of different. And was that a bad thing? Not at all. 

Ro was very tough; both physically and mentally she seemed like she could win any fight. And while she would beat anyone in a fight, she was also a goof. After all, the two were always messing with each other. 

They were practically siblings. 

Sure, they’ve had their share of small fights, but they were always there for each other. Although Ro wants to be a cop, Keefe thinks that she’d make a good therapist- if she used more than two of her brain cells, toned down how sarcastic she could be, stopped making fun of people as much as she did, and stopped looking like she could murder anyone and feel no remorse. 

Okay… so maybe she wouldn’t be such a good therapist. But that's beside the point. 

And when Ro and her boyfriend broke up, Keefe had done whatever he could to cheer her up. He was there right with her for all the chants of ‘men ain’t shit’ and vents. Sometimes, when she didn’t want to talk, Keefe would send whatever weird video he had saved on her phone and would then hope for the best.

All in all, they were always ready to help each other out. Whether it be a good laugh or some advice, help wasn’t difficult to receive.

Which brings us to now. Currently, Keefe was sitting on his bed and scrolling mindlessly through his phone. He had his headphones plugged in and was listening to a playlist that he made. The playlist itself was hidden, and that was for good reason. He didn’t need any of his friends finding a playlist full of love songs.

All of the songs had the same vibe; slow and sad. Each of them was there for good reason. Some were happier than others. Some had nice vocals. Some were just… nice. 

Every now and again, he’d check his phone for a text from any of his friends. After all, he didn’t have any plans due to the rain.

Speaking of the rain, Keefe Sencen did not have any distinct feelings towards it. The only thing it did for him was make him think. What about, well, that was always changing. However, it was always dependent on something that was going on in his life at that time.

This time, it was about love. More specifically, how hopelessly in love he was with one of his friends. No, scratch that. One of his closest friends.

And it wasn’t like this hasn’t happened before. He’s had instances where he’s liked some of his friends before. Even though they were all short-lived and based around small things, they definitely existed. 

However, this time, everything feels… different. 

This time, it didn’t go away in a month. This time, it hasn’t been based on something small; something that couldn’t grow or develop into whatever it developed into now. This time, it was something that, although sweet, became scary. Something that held weight to it. Something that could ruin everything. 

And of course, it had to be for someone who he saw almost daily; someone who he’d always be around whenever the opportunity presented itself to him. That this someone could ruin the reputation that his father and mother made for him long before he was even in the picture.

Keefe would still let this person reck his life, though. Over and over and over again. He’d watch it all come crumbling down around him, and didn’t think he’d care if it guaranteed to get the person he so desperately loved. That’s how far he’d come. That’s how in love he’d been.

Of course, this person had to be Dex.

Dex and his stupidly cute face and stupidly amazing personality. Okay… maybe those things weren’t stupid, but right now, it felt like the most logical thing to think. After all, if Dex wasn’t the way that he was, maybe Keefe wouldn’t have fallen so hard for him. 

Groaning, Keefe ran a hand over his face. He was hopeless. This was hopeless. And he was the only one to blame. 

Because who else would get so lost in thought thinking about the person they liked? Who else would draw them and stash the drawings away, only to look back at them some other time? Who else would make playlists of music because they were so hopelessly in love?

No one other than Keefe motherfucking Sencen, of course.

And Keefe knew that he could go and confess his feelings. He knew that he could try his hand at love and see what it was like. See what real love was like.

Not the kind that his mother and father once had. Not like in t.v. shows or in movies. Not in the stupid books that he would read in English class. But real love. True love. 

However, before he did any of that, he needed answers. And he needed them now.

Picking himself off of his bed, he stood up. He stretched a little bit -a procrastination tactic- and stood still and stared at nothing for a good minute. Then, removed his headphones from his ears and forced himself to walk. 

The walk, as anyone could’ve guessed, felt like a walk of shame. ‘Why shame?’ might you ask, well, the answer would come soon enough. For Keefe, the empathetic boy who could be a little slow when it came to his own feelings, was going to own up to them. 

He walked for a little bit before stopping in front of Ro’s door. His last saving grace was the fact that it was closed. Maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t notice that he was here-

“Keefe that better be you or else I’m not opening this door. I’m not playing around here,” Ro’s voice interrupted his thoughts. In any other circumstance, Keefe would’ve laughed. 

Hesitantly, Keefe opened his mouth, “Yeah… it’s me,” 

After that, he could hear a groan. Then, the sound of footsteps against the hardwood floor met his ears. The footsteps themselves were heavy, which was how Ro constantly walked. Well, more like dragged herself along the floor, but you get the idea. 

The door suddenly opened, and there stood Ro. 

She was currently resting in sweatpants and a tank top. Her hair was tied back, which was a common thing. As well, her recently dyed reddish-pink tips were looking nice in contrast to her skin. She wore a somewhat annoyed expression on her face which soon changed as soon as her eyes had landed on his face.

“Who pissed in your fruit loops?” She tested, almost as if looking for a certain response from him. He laughed slightly, but the sound was almost sad. “Alright, get in.”

Ro opened her door wider and yanked him inside, closing it once he was fully in. She then yanked him to her bed, where she forced him to sit. 

“Alright, what’s wrong with you?” Ro questioned, her voice firm, “you know I don’t like these conversations, so let’s get this over with.”

The words, however, did not come to Keefe. At least, not in the way he needed them to. They were in his mind, sure, but they were all jumbled. It wasn’t like a picture, where you could test out different versions to see which worked best. 

This was unpredictable and difficult. It made him want to walk right back out the door and lock himself in his room. But he knew that he had to get this over with. 

So, he turned to what he thought would make the most sense to start with.

“You’ve been in love before, right?” While Keefe knew that he was asking a touchy question, he also knew what he needed to hear right now. And right now, he needed to hear something that he could make sense of. 

He looked up and saw Ro’s face. While Ro’s face was normally a little difficult for most people to read, he somehow was able to read it like the palm of his hand. But right now, her face was as cold as stone. 

She looked away from him and furrowed her eyebrows, “I don’t know what you think you’re doing but this isn’t funny-”

“It’s not supposed to be funny!” Keefe had interrupted her, eyes wide, “it was a genuine question. You don’t have to answer it, but-”

“Okay, fine! Stop looking at me like I told you that your dad was going to live forever,” Ro grumbled. She crossed her arms and sat next to him on the bed. “Yes. I’ve been in love before. Happy?”

“Well…” Keefe trailed off, causing Ro to throw herself back and groan.

“What is it now?” She asked, hands covering her eyes. 

“Let’s say you liked someone, and you didn’t know if they liked you. And let’s say… this someone could ruin a lot of things for you, but you still want to be with them. What would you do?” 

“That’s oddly specific,” Was Ro’s only reply after hearing what Keefe said, “alright, which one of your friends do you like now? Is it Sophie again? Don’t tell me it's the emo kid.” She began to tease, her tone light and mocking.

“It’s not funnyyyyyyy,” Keefe whined, throwing himself back onto Ro’s bed. His head hit the mattress with a soft thud, which made it bounce a little before he could lay down comfortably. 

Ro followed suit, looking up at the tile ceiling. She lifted her hand and looked at it before letting it fall back onto the bed and sighed.

“You’re hopeless, kid,” Ro began, eyes fixed on the tiles, “who cares what people think? If I still did, I wouldn’t be half as kick-ass as I am now.” The ending of her statement got a small laugh out of Keefe. 

“Just go for it. What’s the worst that could happen? That question was rhetorical,” Was Ro’s serious reply, “if you know this isn’t gonna end within the next day or two, why not test your luck? You never know.”

With that, the two sat in momentary silence. The quiet helped Keefe think and let Ro do whatever Ro did. For both parties, the silence was appreciated in some way.

Keefe began to think everything over. At first, it was a couple of questions to see if what could be was something he really wanted. When he got his eventual answer to that, he began to wonder and think about what could happen if he went through with Ro’s idea or not. 

“Thanks,” Keefe broke the silence, sitting up and looking at himself in Ro’s mirror, “this means a lot.”

“Don’t sweat it, kid,” Ro replied, her bored expression turning into a smirk, “so who is it, huh? My money’s on the bangs kid.”

. . .

A day had passed since Keefe and Ro’s conversation. A day since Keefe had come to the conclusion that he needed. And, of course, a day had passed since everything had really set in.

Currently, Keefe was walking to the pharmacy. Keefe’s asshole of a dad had asked him to go there in order to pick up a few things, so he went to get it over with. If all went wrong, then he knew that he didn’t have to go back to the pharmacy and risk running into Dex again until school.

His walk was a lonely one, since he only had himself, his headphones, and the rain. Yes, it was still raining. No, he didn’t know when it’d stop.

However, the rain was nice to walk in. The sight of it and feeling of it against your skin was nice. It was also fun to hop over puddles to avoid getting soggy shoes. And although the rain soaked his hoodie and made his hair stick to his face, the rain was good to think in. After all, the rain helped him think.

And oh, was he thinking. 

Honestly, he was thinking about a lot of things. The main thing was Dex. He was just about to confess his love to him, so why would he be thinking of anything else. On top of that, he thought of his conversation with Ro. Even though it was short, it helped him out a lot. He owed Ro, and he knew it.

In the blink of an eye, Keefe arrived at the pharmacy. He opened the door and stepped inside, and was happy to see the number of customers inside. 

The pharmacy itself was small and there was an apartment styled house plopped right on top of it. Dex and his family lived in the house upstairs and there was a door inside the pharmacy to get inside. Both it and the apartment were painted a natural-looking tan, which suited them both nicely.

The inside was painted an off-white with a tinge of green, something that Dex and his dad did together over the summer; Dex told him that since he had nothing to do, he helped out his dad in any way that he could. 

As mentioned, it was small. There were only a few aisles stuck inside, and all of the aisles were stocked full of stuff. It would’ve been easy to get lost looking for stuff if it hadn’t been for the little labels stuck everywhere.

In the back of the store sat the medical department. Dex’s dad himself worked there and was always helping people whenever he could. Currently, he was chatting with a customer and their kid, who seemed to have fun playing with a toy car. He was currently checking them out so they could go about their days.

When his eyes landed on Keefe, even from that ‘far’ into the building, he offered the boy a smile. Keefe, of course, smiled back.

In the other corner stood Dex, who was currently helping at a cash register. He was somewhat meeting the pharmacy’s ‘dress-code’, but it was obvious that he wasn’t supposed to be working at the moment. 

There was a customer who seemed to be a regular since Dex seemed to be joking around with them. The customer was older, Keefe could tell that much, but besides that, he was clueless. However, he was not clueless enough to miss Dex’s laugh from where he was. It made Keefe smile to himself.

Forcing himself to turn, Keefe walked over to the card aisle. His dad explained how they were going to someone at his office’s sixtieth birthday celebration in two days, and that he had yet to get anything. 

And while his dad didn’t specify what he needed, Keefe knew that he couldn’t go and do whatever. He was already in hot water with his dad. He didn’t need to be in more over a stupid card.

When he got to the card aisle, he looked at his options. There weren’t many that seemed formal, and if there were, they were love-based. Of course, the cards were making fun of him. 

In the corner of his eye, he could see a group of people from the Foxfire Schools. He’d seen some of them around before since he knew pretty much everyone. Turning, he offered them a smile and wave and continued to look for a decent card.

He heard one of the girls in the group laugh at something the other one said before the group turned and left. Suddenly, he was alone in the aisle.

Quickly, he grabbed a card that seemed good enough. It, of course, was surrounded by love-based cards that were plastered in hearts and the word love. Keefe was going to have a talk with Dex on the assortment of cards that the pharmacy had.

As a last-second grab, Keefe grabbed the envelope for the card and got himself some mechanical pencils from the stationary aisle. While he wanted them for drawing, he knew that he’d have to say that they were for school.

However, as soon as he turned the corner, he ran into a couple. Internally, he groaned at his luck, but externally he apologized and went on his way. 

Walking to the cash register, he braced himself. While he knew that there was another person -a girl with cool hair- working the cash registers at the moment, he wasn’t going to let a moment like this slip away from him. He had to do what he was planning on doing.

When Dex saw him, he offered him a smile. Keefe, obviously, returned this. The person at the other cash register seemed to mouth something to Dex, who flipped her off in return. 

“Hey, Dex,” Keefe greeted, smiling slightly.

He placed the card, envelope, mechanical pencils, and some gum that he got last minute on the check-out counter. Dex picked each object up one by one and scanned them.

“No nickname this time?” Dex joked, putting some money away into the pharmacy’s cash register. Upon noticing that Keefe hadn’t replied in a little bit, he looked up. “What’s wrong?” 

Keefe paused before he spoke, “Can we talk?” He then looked around before looking back at Dex, “like… in private? It’ll only take a few minutes.” 

Dex seemed to hesitate before nodding, turning to the girl working the cash register next to him. He then started having a silent conversation with her. Out of the corner of his eyes, Keefe could see the girl staring at him. It made him feel uncomfortable. However, he didn’t stand down.

When Dex returned, he quickly finished the check-out process. He took Keefe’s money, and surprisingly, didn’t charge him for the gum. He then put everything, including the ridiculously long receipt, in the bag. 

Dex then stepped out from behind the cash register.

“C’mon, Tink said she’d cover for me,” He said, waving Keefe over, “my break is coming up soon, anyway.” Keefe had taken a second to give Tink a second glance and offered her a small wave before going off with Dex.

The two walked quickly. Occasionally, Dex would check back to make sure that Keefe was following him and not getting distracted by literally anything in his sight. 

And then, the two made it to the ‘Employee’s Only’ room. Putting in a code, Dex opened the door and invited Keefe inside.

The room itself was small. Like, it could fit a mini-fridge, a small couch, a tiny coffee table, two foldable chairs, and a wall t.v. kinda small. But, it was a comforting small nonetheless. Then again, depending on how everything goes, he could be taking those thoughts right back.

“So… what did you wanna talk about?” Dex had asked as soon as they got situated. Keefe was sitting on the couch while Dex opted to sit on one of the foldable chairs. 

The words, once again, did not come to Keefe quickly. Taking a deep breath, Keefe placed down the plastic bag in his hand and tried his hardest to speak.

“I have something to tell you. And I know that you probably are gonna say no, but it’s worth the shot. I don’t think I’d be able to tell you if I didn’t tell you now,” Keefe replied, not quite meeting Dex’s eyes.

“... What do you mean?” Dex questioned. His head tilted slightly and he sat up straighter, clearly interested in what Keefe had to say.

“I… like you. No, scratch that, I really like you,” Keefe replied, still not finding it in himself to meet Dex’s gaze. 

“I like you because you are you. You’re smart in ways that no one else is. You’re there for people, even if you don’t realize it. Whenever you get nervous, you start messing with your hands and you think that no one notices, but god, I do. You think that no one cares but I do,” Keefe kept talking, and while he knew he shouldn’t have, he couldn’t help himself.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Keefe stood up. Grabbing the plastic bag, he bid Dex a quiet and small goodbye and left the ‘Employee’s Only’ room. 

He was walking somewhat quickly now. He’d have to tell Ro that it didn’t go well. He’d then have to tell her about who he liked, which would only add salt to the wound-

Suddenly Keefe was outside. He was sticking his headphones in his ears and listening to whatever song came on. And, of course, it just had to be a love song. A love song out of every single song that he had on his damn phone.

The world really love mocking him-

A hand clamped around his wrist and tugged, causing him to turn and stumble backward. And of course, standing there, in the rain behind him, stood Dex Dizznee himself.

“Keefe,” Dex’s voice was quiet, and he refused to meet Keefe’s gaze, “I didn’t respond because I didn’t know how. Because I was scared. Because I like you too.” 

Dex looked up, and their eyes met, “And sometimes, being scared is worth it. Because if there’s anything I want right now, then it’s to be with you,” Dex smiled, his face red and eyes fixed on the ground, “oh god that was so cheesy ew.” Then he laughed at himself softly, and suddenly everything melted away.

And there, in the rain, was where Keefe Sencen’s heart sang. Looking up, he studied Dex’s face. He had to be lying- there was no way. But deep down, he knew that Dex would never lie about these sorts of things. He knew that Dex wouldn’t mess with someone like that.

Looking in his eyes, Keefe searched for reassurance. He searched for the truth.

And oh, the truth he got.

Laughing to himself, Keefe smiled at Dex. He gathered both of Dex’s hands in his own- which was kind of awkward considering one of his hands was holding his stuff. Dex, after mustering up the courage, looked Keefe in the eyes and smiled, too.

It felt like the world had stopped spinning, that the rain had stopped falling and instead stood still in the sky. Because at that moment, Dex looked beautiful. Much more beautiful than any picture could’ve been. 

The rain clung to Dex’s eyelashes and skin. His cheeks were flushed from his confession, which was as understandable as it was adorable. However, the rain only accentuated it. The rolled off of him rather quickly and was beginning to get his sweater wet, too. 

“Hey, Dex?” Keefe had asked after finding his voice. Dex offered him a small smile.

“Yeah, Keefe?” He replied, smiling more.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Yeah, you can,”

Keefe Sencen was beginning to like the rain.


End file.
